Shipping to Canada?

[Drew Bedo]

Someone wants to buy an item of mine. They live somewhere in Canada. The item will fit into a USPS flat-rate box ($17.50). What additional postage may be required (Yeah, I know this is really a question for the Post Office). If the package goes in the US Mail, what customes complications may there be?

The item is valued at <$50 without shipping if that matters.

[Oren Grad]

Try the USPS postage calculator:

http://postcalc.usps.com/

[diversey]

You need fill out a custom form and declare the value and items inside the package. If you have a USPS account, you can choose the international shipping service you like and print out the custom declare form and postage label, or go to post office to do it. It should not have any complications.

[Pierre 2]

Custom declaration is a green large stamp sized sticker that will be stuck to the box at the post office - most easy to fill out. USPS will save your customer custom clearing fees that he would be charged by UPS & others for regular service (and those charges would likely be more than the item value so... USPS is indeed the way to go.

[koh303]

Custom declaration is a green large stamp sized sticker that will be stuck to the box at the post office - most easy to fill out. USPS will save your customer custom clearing fees that he would be charged by UPS & others for regular service (and those charges would likely be more than the item value so... USPS is indeed the way to go.

That is only for first class mail international, and is no longer the same in the US (there is a similar triplicate type form that produces that label).
All Priority mail flat rates are not the same:
FR Envelope
FR small box
Ship as first class mail international which comes as one single form signed when printed online

FR Medium and large box require a full priority mail international customs form (3 copies and one for sender), and must be placed in a pouch 2976e (most post offices have them and will give one when needed). You also should print and tape the actual sender/receiver address on a separate piece of paper and tape it to the box, as the customs may or may not be present upon delivery thus the box will have nothing on it at some point.

Also - the cost of FR to Canada is higher then it is inside the US. 17.50 does not sound like any FR cost when shipping to canada (the lowest being FR envelope/small box @ 20 or 21$).

[adelorenzo]

USPS offers flat rate boxes that have a special rate for Canada. I've had people ship that way to me before.

https://www.usps.com/international/p...ernational.htm

[HMG]

Very easy to calculate and print postage on the usps site. For most packages, you'll need the clear plastic envelope in which to put the printed documents.

FWIW, I've had great success shipping first class to Canada for items with low value and not a paypal "purchase". There is no insurance and theoretically no tracking. I say theoretically because I've found you can often track via the customs number.

[koh303]

Very easy to calculate and print postage on the usps site. For most packages, you'll need the clear plastic envelope in which to put the printed documents.

FWIW, I've had great success shipping first class to Canada for items with low value and not a paypal "purchase". There is no insurance and theoretically no tracking. I say theoretically because I've found you can often track via the customs number.

Canada is one of the countries with the E-DELCON condition, which means there is electronic delivery confirmation service on first class mail international parcels in those countries.

[HMG]

Canada is one of the countries with the E-DELCON condition, which means there is electronic delivery confirmation service on first class mail international parcels in those countries.

I didn't know it was part of broader program. Found this with a list of countries.

[Ginette]

Canada is one of the countries with the E-DELCON condition, which means there is electronic delivery confirmation service on first class mail international parcels in those countries.

Yes, First Class with E-DELCON is perfect for small cheap items to Canada. These shipment arrived as fast as Priority Mail and I never had to pay any duty and taxes on First Class shipment. Same item by Priority may be stopped and taxes added and 10$ fees for the treatment.